Sama

Name of Chinese national intangible cultural heritage: SAMA dance

Applicant: Kashi City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region

Item No.: 1099

Project No.: Ⅲ - 110

Time of publication: 2011 (the third batch)

Category: traditional dance

Region: Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region

Type: new item

Applicant: Kashi City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region

Protection unit: Kashi Cultural Center

Introduction to SAMA Dance:

Applicant: Kashi City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region

Sama dance is a unique form of Uygur folk dance. The word "SAMA" is Arabic, which means "sky", "Tianhe" and "high altitude". This kind of dance is mainly spread in Shufu, Shule, Jiashi, Yingjisha and other counties and cities with Kashi City as the center, especially the large-scale SAMA dance activities held in the square in front of aitigar mosque in Kashi City.

Sama dance is a square collective dance participated by Uygur men. The number of participants, no matter young or old, is unlimited. Hundreds or even thousands of people can dance with the sound of drums at the same time.

Whenever the traditional Muslim festival of Rouzi and qurbang comes, people gather in the square in front of the mosque to hold grand celebrations and enjoy singing and dancing. When the drum music enters the rhythm of SAMA dance, people enter one after another and form a circle of different sizes. Accompanied by Nagra (iron drum), dongbak (bass iron drum) and Su Naiyi (suona), the dancers step steadily, pitch forward and backward, swing and rotate, sometimes go in and out, sometimes move slowly counterclockwise. The people who sing and dance are attentive and steady, with a kind of simple and dignified relic of religious dance. As time goes on, more and more people come into the dance, gradually forming dozens or hundreds of circles. The circles are close to each other and cover the whole square. The crowd moves according to the same rhythm. From a distance, it looks like waves.

The accompaniment music of SAMA dance has strong rhythm, soul stirring, distinctive characteristics and dynamic.